_Shrove Tuesday_, one whose manners show he is better fed than taught,
and indeed he is the only monster for feeding amongst all the dayes of
the yeere, for he devoures more flesh in fourteene houres than this old
kingdom doth (or at least should doe) in sixe weekes after. Such boyling
and broyling, such roasting and toasting, such stewing and brewing, such
baking, frying, mincing, cutting, carving, devouring, and gorbellied
gurmondizing, that a man would thinke people did take in two months’
provision at once. Moreover it is a goodly sight to see how the cookes
in great men’s kitchins doe frye in their master’s suet, that if ever a
cooke be worth the eating, it is when Shrove Tuesday is in towne, for he
is so stued and larded, basted, and almost over-roasted, that a man may
eate every bit of him and never take a surfet. In a word, they are that
day extreme cholerike, and too hot for any man to meddle with, being
monarchs of the marrow-bones, marquesses of the mutton, lords high
regents of the spit and kettle, barons of the gridiron and sole
commanders of the frying-pan. And all this hurly burly is for no other
purpose than to stop the mouth of the land-wheale, _Shrove-Tuesday_, at
whose entrance in the morning all the whole kingdome is in quiet, but by
the time the clocke strikes eleven--which by the help of a knavish
sexton is commonly before nine,--then there is a bell rung called the
_Pancake-Bell_, the sound whereof makes thousands of people distracted
and forgetful either of manner or humanitie. Then there is a thing cal’d
wheat’n flowre, which the sulphory, necromanticke cookes doe mingle with
water, eggs, spice, and other tragicall, magicall inchantments, and then
they put it little by little into a frying-pan of boyling suet, where it
makes a confused dismal hissing--like the Lernean snakes in the reeds of
Acheron, Stix, or Phlegeton--until at last by the skill of the cooke it
is transformed into the forme of a _flap-jack_, which in our translation
is call’d a _pancake_, which ominous incantation the ignorant people doe
devoure very greedily--having for the most part well dined before--but
they have no sooner swallowed that sweet candied baite, but straight
their wits forsake them, and they runne starke mad, assembling in routs
and throngs numberlesse of ungovernable numbers, with uncivill civil
commotions.
“Then Tim Tatters--a most valiant villaine--with an ensign made of a
piece of a baker’s maukin fixed upon a broomstaffe, he displaies his
dreadful colours, and calling the ragged regiment together, makes an
illiterate oration, stuft with most plentiful want of discretion, the
conclusion whereof is that somewhat they will doe, but what they know
not; until at last comes marching up another troupe of tatterdemalions,
proclayming wars against no matter who, so they may be doing. Then these
youths arm’d with cudgels, stones, hammers, rules, trowels, and
handsawse, put play-houses to the sacke, and * * * to the spoyle, in
the quarrel breaking a thousand _quarrels_--of glasse, I mean--making
ambitious brickbats breake their neckes, tumbling from the tops of lofty
chimnies, terribly untyling houses, ripping up the bowels of feather
beds, to the inriching of upholsters, the profit of plaisterers and
dirt-dawbers, the gaine of glasiers, joyners, carpenters, tylers and
bricklayers; and, what is worse, to the contempt of justice; for what
avails it for a constable with an army of reverend rusty bill-men to
command peace to these beastes? for they with their pockets, instead of
pistols, well charged with stone-shot, discharge against the image of
authority whole volleys as thicke as hayle, which robustious repulse
puts the better sort to the worst part, making the band of unscowered
halberdiers retyre faster than ever they come on, and show exceeding
discretion in proving tall men of their heels. So much for _Shrove
Tuesday_, Jacke-a-Lent’s gentleman usher; these have been his humours in
former times, but I have some better hope of reformation in him
hereafter, and indeed I wrote this before his coming this yeere, 1617,
not knowing how hee would behave himselfe; but tottering betwixt
despaire and hope I leave him.”
In connection with the custom of eating pancakes on this day, Fosbroke
in his _Encyclopædia of Antiquities_ (vol. ii. p. 572) says that
“Pancakes, the Norman _Crispellæ_, are taken from the Fornacalia, on
Feb. 18th, in memory of the practice in use before the goddess Fornax
invented ovens.”
The Saxons called February “Solmonath,” which Dr. F. Sayers, in his
_Disquisitions_, says is explained by Bede’s “Mensis Placentarum,” and
rendered by Spelman, in an inedited MS., “Pancake month,” because in the
course of it cakes were offered by the Pagan Saxons to the Sun.
Our most usual name of this Tuesday, says Hampson (_Med. Ævi Kalend._
vol. i. p. 158), is originally Swedish: _pankaka_, an omelette; but, it
has been absurdly derived from the Greek παν and κακοι, _all bad_, in
reference to the penitents at confession.
At one time Shrove Tuesday was the great holiday of the apprentices. Why
it should have been so, says Hone (_Every Day Book_, 1826, vol. i. p.
258), is easy to imagine, on recollecting the sports that boys were
allowed on that day at school. The indulgences of the ancient city
apprentices were great, and their licentious disturbances stand recorded
in the annals of many a fray. The old plays make us aware of a licence
which they took on Shrove Tuesday to assail houses of dubious repute,
and cart the unfortunate inmates through the city.--_Book of Days_, vol.
i. p. 239; See Dekker’s _Seven Deadly Sinnes_, 1606, p. 35.
_Cock-Fighting._--Cock-fighting was a very general amusement up to the
end of the last century. It entered into the occupations of the old and
young. Schools had their cockfights. Travellers agreed with coachmen
that they were to wait a night if there was a cock-fight in any town
through which they passed. A battle between two cocks had five guineas
staked upon it. Fifty guineas, about the year 1760, depended upon the
main or odd battle. This made the decision of a “long-main” at
cock-fighting an important matter. The church bells at times announced
the winning of a “long-main.” Matches were sometimes so arranged as to
last the week. When country gentlemen had sat long at table, and the
conversation had turned upon the relative merits of their several birds,
a cock-fight often resulted, as the birds in question were brought for
the purpose into the dining-room.--Roberts, _Social History of S.
Counties of England_, 1856, p. 421.
Formerly cock-fighting was practised on Shrove Tuesday to a very great
extent; and in the time of King Henry VII. this diversion seems to have
been practised within the precincts of the court. In a royal household
account, occurs the following:--“March 2, 7 Hen. VII. Item, to Master
Bray for rewards to them that brought Cokkes at Shrovetide, at
Westm^{r}. xx^{s}.”
The earliest mention of cock-fighting in England is by FitzStephens, who
died in 1191. He mentions it as one of the amusements of the Londoners,
together with the game of foot-ball. He says; “Yearly at Shrove-tide the
boys of every school bring fighting-cocks to their masters, and all the
forenoon is spent at school, to see these cocks fight together. After
dinner all the youth of the city goeth to play at the ball in the
fields; the scholars of every study have their balls; the practisers
also of the trades have everyone their ball in their hands. The
ancienter sort, the fathers, and the wealthy citizens, come on horseback
to see these youngsters contending at their sport, with whom, in a
manner, they participate by motion; stirring their own natural heat in
the view of the active youth, with whose mirth and liberty they seem to
communicate.” Cock-fighting is now happily by law a misdemeanour, and
punishable by penalty.
_Throwing at Cocks._--In days not very long gone by, the inhuman sport
of throwing at cocks was practised at Shrovetide, and nowhere was it
more certain to be seen than at the grammar-schools. The poor animal was
tied to a stake by a short cord, and the unthinking men and boys who
were to throw at it took their station at the distance of about twenty
yards. Where the cock belonged to some one disposed to make it a matter
of business, twopence was paid for three _shies_ at it, the missile used
being a broomstick. The sport was continued till the poor creature was
killed outright by the blows. Such outrage and tumult attended this
inhuman sport a century ago that it was sometimes dangerous to be near
the place where it was practised.--_Book of Days_, 1863, vol. i. p. 238.
The following extract is taken from the _Daily London Advertiser_,
Wednesday, March 7th, 1759:--Yesterday, being Shrove Tuesday, the orders
of the justices in the City and Liberty of Westminster were so well
observed that few cocks were seen to be thrown at, so that it is hoped
this barbarous custom will be left off.
In _Men-Miracles_ (by M. Lluellin, student of Christ Church, Oxon,
1679, p. 48), quoted by Brand, _Pop. Antiq._, 1849, vol. i. p. 78, is
the following ironical song on cock-throwing:
“Cocke a doodle doe, ’tis the bravest game,
Take a cock from his dame,
And bind him to a stake:
How he struts, how he throwes,
How he staggers, how he crowes,
As if the day newly brake.
“How his mistress cackles,
Thus to find him in shackles.
And tied to a packe-thread garter.
Oh, the beares and the bulls
Are but corpulent gulls
To the valiant Shrove-tide martyr.”
_Shying at Leaden Cocks._--This was probably in imitation of the
barbarous custom already described of “shying” or throwing at the living
animal. The “cock” was a representation of a bird or beast, a man, a
horse, or some device, with a stand projecting on all sides, but
principally behind the figure. These were made of lead cast in moulds.
They were shyed at with dumps from a small distance agreed upon by the
parties, generally regulated by the size or weight of the dump, and the
value of the cock. If the thrower overset or knocked down the cock, he
won it; if he failed, he lost his dump.
_Shy for Shy._--This was played at by two boys, each having a cock
placed at a certain distance, generally at about four or five feet
asunder, the players standing behind their cocks, and throwing
alternately; a bit of stone or wood was generally used to throw with;
the cock was won by him who knocked it down.
Corks and dumps were exposed for sale on the butchers’ shambles on a
small board and were the perquisites of the apprentices who made them;
and many a pewter plate, and many an ale-house pot, were melted at this
season for shying at cocks, which was as soon as fires were lighted in
the autumn.
These games, and all others among the boys of London, had their
particular times or seasons; and when any game was out, as it was
termed, it was lawful to steal the thing played with; this was called
_smugging_, and it was expressed by the boys in a doggrel air.
“Tops are in, spin ’em agin.
Tops are out, smugging about.”
or,
“Tops are in, spin ’em agin.
Dumps are out, &c.”
The fair cock was not allowed to have his stand extended behind more
than his height and half as much more, nor much thicker than himself,
and he was not to extend in width more than his height, nor to project
over the stand; but fraudulent cocks were made extending laterally over
the side, so as to prevent his lying down sideways, and with a long
stand behind; the body of the cock was made thinner, and the stand
thicker, by which means the cock bent upon being struck, and it was
impossible to knock him over.--_Every Day Book_, vol. i. p. 253.
_Threshing the Hen_ was a custom formerly practised on this day. The
following account taken from _Tusser Redivivus_, 1710 (8vo. June, p.
15), is curious. “The hen,” says the writer, “is hung at a fellow’s
back, who also has some horse-bells about him, the rest of the fellows
are blinded, and have boughs in their hands, with which they chase this
fellow and his hen about some large court or small enclosure. The fellow
with his hen and bells shifting as well as he can, they follow the
sound, and sometimes hit him and his hen; other times, if he can get
behind one of them, they thresh one another well favouredly; but the
jest is, the maids are to blind the fellows, which they do with their
aprons, and the cunning baggages will endear their sweethearts with a
peeping-hole, whilst the others look out as sharp to hinder it. After
this the hen is boiled with bacon, and store of pancakes and fritters
are made.”
The same writer adds that after the hen-threshing, “she that is noted
for lying a-bed long, or any other miscarriage, hath the first pancake
presented to her, which most commonly falls to the dogs’ share at last,
for no one will own it their due.”
With regard to the origin of this custom, it has been conjectured that
as the fowl was a delicacy to the labourer, it was therefore given to
him on Shrove Tuesday for sport and food.--Tusser, in his _Five Hundred
Points of Good Husbandry_ (1620), has the following lines:
“At Shrovetide to shroving, go thresh the fat hen,
If blindfold can kill her, then give it thy men.
Maids, fritters, and pancakes enough see you make,
Let Slut have one pancake, for company sake.”
In some places, if flowers are to be procured so early in the season,
the younger children carry a small garland, for the sake of collecting a
few pence, saying:
“Flowers, flowers, high do!
Shreeny, greeny, rino!
Sheeny greeny, sheeny greeny,
Rum tum fra!”
Brand, _Pop. Antiq._ 1849, vol. i. p. 68.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
At Eaton, on Shrove Tuesday, as soon as ever the clock strikes nine, all
the boys in the school cry ΤΩ ΒΑΚΧΩ, ΤΩ ΒΑΚΧΩ, ΤΩ ΒΑΚΧΩ, as loud they
can yell, and stamp and knock with their sticks; and then they doe all
runne out of the schoole.--_Aubrey MS._, A.D. 1686, Brit. Mus.
A MS. in the British Museum already alluded to (_Status Scholæ
Etonensis_, A.D. 1560, MS. Brit. Mus. Donat. 4843 fol. 423) mentions a
custom of the boys of Eton school being allowed to play from eight
o’clock for the whole day; and of the cook’s coming in and fastening a
pancake to a crow, which the young crows are calling upon, near it, at
the school door.
CHESHIRE.
Pennant, in his _Journey from Chester to London_, tells us of a place at
Chester without the walls, called the Rood-Eye, where the lusty youth in
former days exercised themselves in manly sports of the age: in archery,
running, leaping, and wrestling, in mock fights and gallant romantic
triumphs. A standard was the prize of emulation.
In a pamphlet also, entitled, _Certayne Collection of Anchiante Times,
concerninge the Anchiante and Famous Cittie of Chester_, published in
Lysons’ _Magna Britannia_ (1810, vol. ii. p. 585), is the following:
“That whereas the Companye and Corporation of Shoemakers within the
cittie of Chester did yearely, time out of memory of man, upon Tewsday,
commonly called Shrove Tuesday, or otherwise Goteddesse day afternoon,
at the Cross upon the Roode-Dee, before the Mayor of the said cittie,
offer unto the Company of Drapers of the same cittie a ball of leather,
called a foote-ball, of the value of 3_s._ 4_d._ or thereabouts: and by
reason of the greate strife which did arise among the younge persons of
the same cittie (while diverse parties were taken with force and strong
handes to bring the said ball to one of these three houses, that is to
say, to the Mayor’s house, or any one of the two Sheriffs’ houses of the
time being), much harme was done, some in the great thronge fallinge
into a trance, some having their bodies brused and crushed; some their
arms, heades, or legges broken, and some otherwise maimed, or in perill
of life: to avoid the said inconveniences, and also to torne and
converte the said homage to a better use, it was thought good by the
Mayor of the saide cittie and the rest of the Common-Council to exchange
of the said foote-ball as followeth: that in place thereof, there be
offered by the Shoemakers to the Drapers, six gleaves[10] of silver, the
which gleaves they appoynted to be rewards unto such men as would come,
and the same day and place, passe and overcome on foot all others: and
the said gleaves were presently delivered according to the runninge of
every one; and this exchange was made in the time when Henry Gee was
Mayor of Chester,[11] A.D. 1539, and in the thirty-firste yeare of Kinge
Henry the Eighth.
[10] An obsolete word for a hand-dart.
[11] The following is a copy of the order for the above-mentioned
change, extracted from “the Orders and Acts of Assembly, of the Mayor,
Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of Chester,” in the Town
Clerk’s Office:
“_Jan 10_ 3 _Hen._ viii. HENRY GEE, MAYOR.”--After reciting the
ancient use of archery and shooting in the long bow, for the honour
and defence of the realm, and that the same is much decayed, and other
unlawful games much in use: “Ordered by the Mayor, Aldermen, and
Common Council, with the consent of the whole occupation of drapers,
sadlers, and shoemakers, that the said occupation of shoemakers (which
always have, time out of mind, given and delivered yearly, on Shrove
Tuesday in the afternoon, unto the drapers, before the Mayor at the
Cross on the Roodee, one ball of leather, called a foot-ball, of the
value of 3_s._ 4_d._, or above, to play at from thence to the
common-hall of the said city, and further at the pleasure of the
evil-disposed persons; whereof hath arisen great inconveniences) shall
give and deliver yearly to the said drapers, before the Mayor at the
said time and place: six silver gleaves, each of the value of 27_d._
or above, to be disposed of at the pleasure of the said Mayor and
drapers, to him that shall win a foot-race before them, that or any
other day; and that the sadlers (who have time out of mind given, and
delivered yearly, at the same time and place, every master of them,
unto the drapers, before the Mayor, one painted ball of wood, with
flowers and arms, upon the point of a spear, being goodly arrayed upon
horseback accordingly) shall henceforth give and deliver to the said
drapers, before the Mayor, at the same time and place upon horseback,
a bell of silver, to the value of 3_s._ 4_d._, to be disposed of at
the discretion of the Mayor and drapers, to him that shall get the
horse races on that day; and that every man that hath been married in
the said city, since Shrove Tuesday, then last past, shall then and
there also deliver to the said drapers before the Mayor, an arrow of
silver, to the value of 5_s._ or above, instead of such ball of silk
and velvet, which such married men ought then to have given and
delivered by the ancient custom of the said city (used time out of
mind), which silver arrow shall be disposed of by the Mayor and
drapers, for the preferment of the said feat and exercise of shooting
in the long-bow, for avoiding the said inconveniences, any use or
prescription to the contrary notwithstanding; and also, the said
drapers and their successors, shall keep yearly their recreation and
drinking, as they used to do, time out of mind, and that the
shoemakers and sadlers, and persons hereafter to be married, shall
observe this order upon pain of 10_l._ for every offence, _toties
quoties_, to be forfeited to the drapers according to ancient custom.”
“Alsoe, whereas the Companye and occupation of the Sadlers within the
Cittie of Chester did yearely by custome, time out of memorie of man,
the same day, hour, and place, before the Mayor, offer upon a truncheon,
staffe or speare, a certaine homage to the Drapers of the cittie of
Chester, called the Sadler’s ball, profitable for few uses or purposes,
as it was, beinge a ball of silk of the bigness of a bowle, was torned
into a silver bell; weighing about two ozs., as is supposed, of silver:
the which saide silver bell was ordayned to be the rewarde for that
horse, which with speedy runninge, then should rune before all others,
and there presently should be given the daye and place. This alteration
was made the same time, and by the same mayor, like as the Shoemakers’
foote-ball was before exchanged into six silver gleaves.
“Also, whereas of an anchant custom whereof man’s memorie nowe livinge
cannot remember the original and beginninge, the same daye, hower and
place, before the mayor for the time beinge, every person which is
married within the liberties of the saide cittie, dwelling wheresoever
without, and all those that dwelle within the saide cittie, for one
yeare before, and marye elswhere, did offer likewise a homage to the
said Companye of Drapers before the Mayor, a ball of silke, of the like
bignesse of a bowle; the same mayor torned the same balls into silver
arrowes, the which arrowes they tooke order should be given to those
which did shoote the longest shoote, with divers kind of arrowes: this
exchange was made as before is mentioned of the Shoemakers’ foote-ball
and the Sadlers’ ball. In which exchange there appeared greate wisdom,
anchent and sage senators, whoe had great studye and regarde to torne
the foresaid thinges unto soe profitable uses and exercises; so that
there is three of the most commendable exercises and practices of
war-like feates, as running of men on foot, runninge of horses, and
shootinge of the broad arrowe, the flighte and the butt-shafte, in the
long-bowe, are yearely there used; which is done in a very few (if in
any) citties of England, soe far as I understand.”
CORNWALL.
It was customary at one time to tie fowls to stakes, and set them as
marks for boys to kill with bats.--Hitchins, _History of Cornwall_,
1824, vol. i. p. 723.
CUMBERLAND.
Formerly the scholars of the free school of Bromfield, about the
beginning of Lent, or, in the more expressive phraseology of the
country, at Fasting’s Even, used to _bar out the master_, i.e., to
depose and exclude him from his school, and keep him out for three days.
During the period of this expulsion, the doors of the citadel, the
school, were strongly barricaded within; and the boys, who defended it
like a besieged city, were armed in general with _bore-tree_ or elder
pop-guns. The master meantime made various efforts, both by force and
stratagem, to regain his lost authority. If he succeeded, heavy tasks
were imposed, and the business of the school was resumed and submitted
to, but it more commonly happened that he was repulsed and defeated.
After three days’ siege, terms of capitulation were proposed by the
master, and accepted by the boys. These terms were summed up in an old
formula of Latin Leonine verses, stipulating what hours and times should
for the year ensuing be allotted to study, and what to relaxation and
play. Securities were provided by each side for the due performance of
these stipulations, and the paper was then solemnly signed by both
master and pupils.
One of these articles, always stipulated for and granted, was the
privilege of immediately celebrating certain games of long standing:
viz. a foot-ball match and a cock-fight. Captains, as they were called,
were then chosen to manage and preside over these games: one from that
part of the parish, which lay to the westward of the school; the other
from the east. Cocks and foot-ball players were sought for with great
diligence. The party whose cocks won the most battles was victorious in
the cock-pit; and the prize, a small silver bell, suspended to the
button of the victor’s hat, and worn for three successive Sundays. After
the cock-fight was ended, the foot-ball was thrown down in the
churchyard; and the point then to be contested was, which party could
carry it to the house of his respective captain, to Dundraw, perhaps, or
West Newton, a distance of two or three miles, every inch of which
ground was keenly disputed. All the honour accruing to the conqueror at
foot-ball was that of possessing the ball.[12]--Hutchinson’s _Hist. of
Cumberland_, vol. ii. p. 322.
[12] Addison is described by his biographers as having been the leader
of a barring out at the Grammar School of Lichfield.
Brand, _Pop. Antiq._ (1849, vol. i. p. 441), says, that the custom of
_barring-out_ was practised in other places towards Christmas time, e.
g., at the school of Houghton-le-Spring, in the county of Durham.
Among the statutes of the grammar-school founded at Kilkenny, in
Ireland, March 18, 1684, in Vallancey’s _Collectanea de Rebus
Hibernicis_, vol. ii. p. 512, is the following:
“In the number of stubborn and refractory lads, who shall refuse to
submit to the orders and correction of the said school, who are to be
forthwith dismissed, and not re-admitted without due submission to
exemplary punishment, and on the second offence to be discharged and
expelled for ever,” are reckoned, “such as shall offer to shut out the
master or usher, but the master shall give them leave to break up eight
days before Christmas, and three days before Easter and Whitsuntide.”
DERBYSHIRE.
Formerly the inhabitants of Derby had a foot-ball match between the
parishes of All Saints and St. Peter’s; the conflicting parties being
strengthened by volunteers from the other parishes, and from the
surrounding country. The bells of the different churches rang their
merry peals on the morning, and gave rise to the following jingle on the
five parishes of All Saints’, St. Peter’s, St. Werburgh’s, St.
Alkmund’s, and St. Michael’s:
“Pancakes and fritters,
Say All Saints’ and St. Peter’s;
When will the _ball_ come,
Say the bells of St. Alkmum;
At _two_ they will throw,
Says Saint Werabo’;
O! very well,
Says little Michel.”